Why is a Miniature actually cheaper than a Standard size cow?
Feed Cost
If you keep a Standard Size Jersey in a corral next to a Miniature Jersey Cow and feed them every day for a year, you will pay about $2500 more in feed for the Standard Size cow.
Calf Value
Standard size heifers will sell for only a fraction of what your Miniature Jersey calf will sell for.
Body Condition
Very few Standard size cows can maintain their body weight while milking when fed regular hay and grain. Normally they can only be milked for around 5 months before they are so skinny that you have to dry off their milk because their body condition is so poor. Because they are so thin, it is almost impossible to get them to re-breed. It can take 4-5 months to put the weight back on to allow for a pregnancy to occur. Then you have 10 months to wait for your cow to milk again. Can you afford to own a cow that can only milk for 5 months and have a 15 month dry period before milk flows again? Most of us can’t! Imagine what happens if you have a very thin cow and it gets sick. How long do you think you really have before you are in an emergency situation? More often than not, the body condition is so poor that without emergency intervention the animal will not survive. Immunity decreases with poor body condition.
Miniatures thrive on hay and grain. They are fat and sassy while milking. Most can maintain their weight for the 10 month milking period. They breed back easier due to higher body condition. They have enough fat reserves to be treated at home by a vet if they ever get sick.
Smaller Property Size
Smaller property is ideal for the Miniature cow. Standard cows need more space.
I have personally owned many Standard Size Jersey cows. I have decided to only focus on Miniature and Mid-Mini Jersey cows because of the above reasons. We have many more customers than available cows. This is what is working well for our clients and for ourselves. Someday I will put the pencil to the paper for you. It is amazing how quickly the Standard size cow becomes much more expensive to own than the Miniature Jersey.